A new era of Brooklyn Nets basketball is on the way as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have joined last year’s surprising playoff squad.
While Durant will miss next season due to his Achilles injury, in 2020-21 he and Irving are expected to make Brooklyn one of the favorites in the East and form one of the best offensive duos in the league, along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the Clippers.
However, when he does step on the floor, it will be a new look for Durant. The superstar forward announced on Sunday that he would be wearing the No. 7 in Brooklyn, moving on from the No. 35 he’s worn throughout his career, in a tweet (confirmed by multiple reporters as being a number change and not just a random jersey picture by KD).
.@35Ventures pic.twitter.com/LKR00FOnys
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) July 7, 2019
Kevin Durant says he will now wear No. 7 as he begins his Brooklyn Nets career, switching from No. 35.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2019
It’s a big shift from Durant, but he now joins LeBron James in making a significant number change this offseason. James will return to the No. 6 he wore in Miami after gifting the No. 23 to Anthony Davis. Durant isn’t making the change to appease a teammate’s desire to wear the number, but for a fresh start with a backstory I’m sure we’ll learn more about soon.
What is interesting is that Durant’s business is called 35 Ventures, and his Twitter handle is KDTrey5, both obviously tied to his jersey number, but he seems to want to change things up in Brooklyn. Soon after, Durant offered this message explaining why the No. 35 has been so meaningful to him throughout his basketball journey.
Kevin Durant’s explanation for the number change. pic.twitter.com/w6C2ioO1IW
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) July 7, 2019
Though he doesn’t specify exactly why he’s chosen the No. 7 as a replacement, it clearly holds some personal significance to him that will be emblematic of the next stage of his career.
